New Year's Resolutions
by M E Wofford
Summary: Ziva and Tony make separate New Year’s Resolutions that could either bring them together or part them forever.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own NCIS or any part thereof.

Ziva and Tony make separate New Year's Resolutions that could either bring them together or part them forever.

New Year's Resolutions

She put the glass of wine down on the table next to the couch arm. She had thought it would help but it had not. She still felt sad and confused. Tonight she had to make a decision. It seemed an appropriate time for decision making, the end of the old year and the start of a new; the best time for making a decision regarding the rest of her life.

She got up from the couch and walked to the window. She saw the streetlights in the park clear and sharp in the freezing air. Spider webs of crystalline ice in the corners of the window made the glass looked shattered. She reached out a hand and touched the window pane. Immediately condensation began to appear around her fingertips.

Her reflection stared back at her, a woman with long, wild, dark hair, a serious face. She looked sad but really not all that different from the woman who came to America almost 4 years ago, the woman who had become an investigator as well as an assassin or should it be instead of an assassin? Certainly during her time with Mossad last summer she had not volunteered for any assignments requiring her killing skills, working only observation and apprehension. She knew her father had been unhappy with her choices but she did not think she ever could be the old Ziva anymore. She feels a small smile form and sees it reflected on the face in the window. Too long under Gibbs' command has eroded any desire to continue in the assassin business. She liked being on the side of the angels too much to continue killing just because someone ordered her to no matter who gave the order.

Reaching up her hand she touches her face and sees the movement reflected in the glass. She sees a slender hand caress a pale oval of a face with dark eyes and high cheekbones. The large puffy lips Americans admire so much are missing. She traces the mouth; it is more the classic Cupid's bow. She knows if she smiles again she will see small dimples form around her mouth. Moving her hand she sees the image move over the sharp little chin and then down the long neck traveling even further to rest on one of the small breasts camouflaged by the baggy NCIS sweatshirt she wears. Nothing pushes out the fabric to indicate the large breasts American men, including most of the males she works with on a daily basis, seem to consider a necessity. She had never felt inadequate in that area until the past few months. Always thought she was reasonably attractive to men but perhaps she had been wrong? Or perhaps it was only in America she was not considered pretty enough?

Abruptly she turned away from the window. Do not fall into this trap, Ziva. Do not dwell on this. You know you are attractive, you know men desire you. It is only one man who is not attracted to you, who does not want to be with you and he is the only one you want; which is why she must come to a decision tonight. Sitting down on the couch she takes a deep breath and then draws her legs up under her. In the winter here she is always chilled, even the sweatpants and heavy socks do not warm her sufficiently so she spreads the blue and white afghan her mother had made before she was born over her legs. She always feels her mother nearby when she has it wrapped around her. What would Ima say to me, she wonders? She cannot imagine. She can only hear her father's cold, stern voice deriding what she has become, a woman weakened by an unrequited love, a woman who has lost the edge necessary to assure not only her own survival but the survival of others who count on her, including the man she loves.

Yes, she has finally admitted it to herself. She loves her partner, she loves Anthony DiNozzo. She is desperately and truly in love with him. Annoying and juvenile as he is most of the time, he holds her heart although she is sure he does not know it. She prays he does not know. The humiliation would be too much to bear if he knew. She thinks she has kept it hidden; well, mostly hidden. The conversation in the elevator after the bogus war game had nearly given away her secret. If he had only being paying attention to her instead of nursing his anger he would have known what she meant when she explained why she had not followed her orders from Gibbs: would have known exactly what she meant when she said she was tired of pretending. But thankfully he had been too intent on his frustration and pain at being betrayed once again by people he trusted to hear what she said or note how she looked. She felt her face burn in embarrassment at both her lapse of emotional control and the fact he was correct. She had endangered their mission by not following orders. When she had seen him go down after the gunshot and the guard standing over him she had lost control. Totally lost control, something she rarely if ever did. If she had had a weapon the guards in the room would have died senselessly as they were as much puppets as she and Tony. They would have died because she could not control her pain at the sight of him sprawled on the floor, his face distorted in pain. Because seeing him down drove every logical thought out of her head and left only room for one overriding imperative. She had to take them out and save Tony, no matter how many there were. She had to reach him or die trying.

Remembering would not help. She had to make her choice now. She had to make the choice tonight. Right now. She could not sleep until she knew what she was going to do. The choices seemed simple. She could return to Israel and Mossad and bow to her father's wishes and give her life in the service of her country sooner rather than later as she knew now she could never be an assassin again. Or she could stay in America, stay at NCIS where she had found friends and acceptance but also where she posed a significant danger to those same friends because she had become weak, unfocused, a poor and ultimately dangerous comrade. Closing her eyes against the shame of it but acknowledging it all the same. By allowing herself to fall in love with her partner she had broken all the rules she had been taught by both Mossad and Gibbs. Loving a man who did not return her love was just an added humiliation.

She came to it then, her real problem, the driving force behind this decision. He did not care for her except as a partner. She should have learned that hard lesson earlier when he was involved with the Benoit woman. Ziva believed he had truly loved Jeanne and her heart had ached at his pain. Then Jeanne was gone and she felt they had grown closer over the past year. Now, though, after the last few cases, she realized she had been fooling herself. He had not changed; well, not in regards to her anyway. She remembered her words to him in Autopsy after Jenny's death and gave a rueful smile. Apparently Tony was not the only slow learner in their partnership. If he cared for her as she cared for him perhaps something could be done to make it workable but he did not and she had to move on with her life. She can do this. She can be strong enough to do this. She has to do this before she gets someone she loves killed by her bad judgment.

A huge wave of sadness overwhelms her, almost taking her under and she realizes she has already made her choice but had been unwilling to acknowledge it. She slowly pushes her mother's cover aside and picks up her tennis shoes and puts them on. She gets up and dons her coat and wraps her woolen scarf around her throat to keep out the cold. She picks up the bright orange watch cap she had as a remembrance of Roy Sanders, a beautiful man who had been in her life for such a short time but had left a lasting, bittersweet memory. For a moment she wonders what would have happened if he had lived. Would they have…?

STOP IT, she says out loud. Taking a deep breath she puts on Roy's cap. Now, while she has the courage she will go to the office and put her request on Director Vance's desk asking to be sent back to Israel. If he wishes to continue the liaison position with Mossad she is sure her father will send another officer. She has to do this now while the courage is there and then - then there will be no turning back.

She closes and locks the door behind her and it takes all of her Mossad training not to cry as she walks out into the cold.


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, I do not own NCIS or any part thereof.

New Year's Resolution

-2-

He squealed his tires as he drove into the NCIS garage and slammed on the brakes as he parked nearly bashing his head on the steering wheel. Damn, he was pissed! He walked into the building and caught the elevator to the bullpen. As he walked to his desk through the dimly lit squadroom he yanked off his topcoat and threw it toward the cabinet behind his chair. It missed and wound up on the floor but he didn't care. At 11:30 on New Year's Eve he was back in the office, alone and just about as mad as he'd ever been in his life. Tony DiNozzo alone on New Year's Eve, this was a freakin' first. But it was either leave the bitch at the party or arrest her. Then and there he made a New Year's resolution – no more bimbos, no matter how great they looked.

He sat down at his desk and covered his eyes with his hands. He'd only known her for a couple of weeks. Taken her to bed the first night they'd met and they'd had their jollies a few times since and when she'd asked him to the party he'd figured why not? It would give him something to do on the biggest party night of the year and then he could bring her back home with him and he wouldn't have to wake up alone in his king-sized bed on the first day of the New Year. Those plans crashed and burned when she went into the ladies room with a few of her girlfriends and came out with dilated eyes and white power smeared on her upper lip.

She wasn't the brightest of women but her blonde good looks and fantastic body had made up for the lack of brains or so he'd thought. Snorting coke while on a date with a federal officer was way beyond stupid. He still wondered if he should have arrested her and her friends instead of just telling her off and leaving. He'd tried to get to leave so he could take her back to her place but she'd refused him and started yelling. It wasn't worth getting in a fight about for sure. He had no doubt she'd find another partner for the evening in short order. He could only cringe at what might have happened had the cops been called and his date found with cocaine. Even if he'd kept his job Gibbs would have had him doing crap assignments for months as punishment.

Tony smiled ruefully. He hadn't wanted to go home to his empty apartment so he'd decided to come in and finish up some paperwork. Start out the New Year with a clean desk. Gibbs would be shocked. Ziva would probably faint.

He grinned and looked over at Ziva's desk as he often did to share a smile or thought with her, forgetting for the moment she was probably at home curled up with a good book. The smile faded as he noticed her desk lamp was on and her computer screen up. How had he missed that coming in? Must have been madder than he'd thought.

Getting up from his desk, he walked toward her cubicle. Everything was in order. She had the neatest desk in the department. A plain white envelope with "Director Vance" written on it in Ziva's distinctive penmanship lay atop her desk calendar. Like Ziva herself, the writing was strong and no nonsense, distinctly her own. No loops and swirls or other girly affectations for his favorite Mossad agent. One of a kind among women, rare and unique, that was his partner. He wondered what she was up to with the note to Vance?

As he picked up the envelope and turned it over in his hands, noting it was sealed, he thought about Ziva. God alone knew why she was here on New Year's Eve. Sometimes he could follow her thoughts and sometimes she totally left him in the dust. He smiled again. Maybe that was the key to his fascination with her; she was nothing like the other women he'd known in his life. Drop dead gorgeous, super intelligent with a photographic memory, martial arts skills he could only envy (and he thought even Gibbs envied on occasion), and lately revealing an impressive array of emotions - something she hadn't done when she first came to NCIS. Those beautiful brown eyes could film over with tears occasionally now and her laughter had become more and more frequent, always triggering a responsive smile from him, even if it was him she was laughing at.

He'd been surprised by how much he had missed her while an agent afloat, even more than Gibbs or Abby. He'd never realized how often he sought her out everyday or how often she kept him from making some bonehead mistake; didn't remember how often he would just sit and look at her and realize anew how beautiful she was until she wasn't there by his side. If he were honest, she was the best thing in his life. But then he found it hard to be honest with her. Honesty could be dangerous, could take him down a path he wasn't sure he was ready to travel again. Sighing he turned and put the envelope back on the desk and started to stand up. Then she was in front of him.

"Hey," he said blinking in surprise. "Happy New Year."

She frowned and said, "Tony, why are you here? I thought you were at a party tonight with Wendy?"

"Mindy," he corrected her. "And I was but she decided to break a major rule for dating DiNozzo so I left her at the party."

"You left her at the party? What rule did she break? It must have been a big rule. I know you usually treat your dates like princesses until you are ready to break it off with them."

He opened his mouth to protest but then realized she told the truth. She'd been observing him for years now and she knew his moves. He did the whole romantic bit until he was tried of them and then tried to let them down easily by refusing to answer their calls or respond to their e-mails. Usually it wasn't a problem; they were as tried of him as he was of them by the time two or three weeks had passed.

He gave her the patented DiNozzo smile.

"Enough about me," he told her. "Why are you here and not home with a good book?"

She looked anywhere but at him, her way of avoiding answering. He took the opportunity to check her out. She looked cute as hell in her NCIS sweatpants and what looked like one of his old NCIS sweatshirts hanging down past her hips. It hung off her shoulders and she'd rolled the sleeves up so she could use her hands. It totally hid her splendid body but since he already had every line memorized it didn't matter; her delicious ass and perky breasts, her long, strong legs, her slender, elegant neck…when he closed his eyes at night she starred in his dreams. When he awoke in the morning and stretched out across his bed he always felt disappointed for a moment when she wasn't there. If she was by his side during the day then she needed to be there at night too. Only fair.

Stop it, DiNozzo, he told himself. Just stop it. She's your partner.

She didn't look him in the eye as she brushed past him to her desk.

"I, er, just wanted to finish up some paperwork," she said.

For a spy and an assassin it was sometimes embarrassingly easy to tell when she was lying.

"Liar," he said.

"Tony, I am not…"

He turned to face her over her desk.

"Yeah, you are. You're lying to me."

She opened her mouth and then shut it.

"Yes I am."

Now it was his turn to stand with his mouth open. Was she changing the rules? She never admitted to anything.

She bent down and picked up her backpack then took the letter for Director Vance off her desk. She brushed past him heading for the elevator. He moved to block her, holding his arms out to his sides so she couldn't pass like he was guarding a hot shooter in a game of basketball.

"Please, don't go," he said.

What was he doing? What did he want? He did not know, had no friggin' idea. He just knew he didn't want her to leave yet. He didn't want to be by himself tonight. He wanted Ziva by his side, where she belonged.

"How about I buy you a cup of coffee and a candy bar in the break room? Stay until midnight? See in 2009 with me?"

He hated the whining tone in his voice but couldn't help it. He didn't want her to leave. To his surprise, she gave him a small smile and said, "That would be nice, Tony." She slung her backpack over her shoulder and led the way to the vending area.

Tony bought them each a cup of the awful machine-dispensed coffee and a chocolate bar a piece. They sat at one of the small tables face to face with their knees touching. He took a sip and made a face. Ziva didn't touch hers. Looking at her closely he saw her eyes were reddened and slightly puffy. Had she been crying? Why?

"You know about New Year's Resolutions, Ziva?" he asked.

Now where the hell had that come from? New Year's resolutions again? Maybe it was in response to his bimbo resolution earlier? Maybe if he had less bimbos in his life he'd have more Ziva? Was that how his subconscious was working tonight? It was scaring him.

"Yes. They are vows you make at the start of a new year concerning changes you would like to make in your life."

"Right. I've made one, a big one, and it's to do with you."

The frown lines were back.

He leaned forward on his elbows and starting making little circles with his coffee cup trying to work out in his mind what to say. How could he let her know, in a roundabout way, how he felt about her; about them?

"Do you remember the other day, at the Wall, when you asked me how my relationship with Kemp's wife ended? And then you wanted to know if I had any regrets about not having a wife and kids? And I left the car without answering?"

Her surprise showed in her eyes.

"I remember Tony and I am sorry I pried into your personal life. I did not mean to upset you."

He took a deep breath. Now or never. Give her the one thing she said he never gave her.

"No, no. You didn't upset me but you did make me think about a few things and that's why my most important New Year's resolution, Ziva, is to answer your serious questions as honestly as I possibly can. Not stupid questions, or obviously impertinent questions, but serious questions I will do my best to answer. No more hiding behind jokes, no more making fun of you, no more running. I will answer the question as honestly as I can."

She moved slightly but he didn't look at her.

"She chose Kemp because he played the commitment card. The one card I couldn't play. Simple as that I think. She wanted more than I was prepared to offer."

He looked at her now. She watched him intently; her expressive eyes showing her concern for his pain.

"And do I have regrets for not having a family and coming up hard and fast on 40?"

He took a deep breath.

"Yeah," he said and his voice was softer than he would have wished but he couldn't do anything about it. "Yeah, Ziva. I'd like to have someone to share my life with, a couple of little DiNozzos running around. A woman to love me and for me to love."

He looked down again, not meeting her eyes. Hard. That had been so damned hard. But he felt better now he'd done it.

She reached out and touched his hand where it lay on the table, her smaller hand warm and soft and welcome.

"Thank you, Tony. I know that was not an easy thing for you to tell me."


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own NCIS or any part thereof.

New Year's Resolution

-3-

"Thank you, Tony. I know that was not an easy thing for you to tell me."

Ziva held his hand, wanting to offer comfort. She knew how difficult it had been for Tony to open up emotionally. She ran her fingers gently back and forth over his knuckles and felt her eyes sting again from unwanted tears. She tightened her jaw. No more crying tonight. She had spent 15 minutes crying in the ladies room after she had finally gotten her note to Vance the way she wanted. She had felt like her life was ending.

Then she had come back to her desk to find Tony standing there. She had almost turned and gone back into the bathroom before he saw her but then realized he would just wait until she came back. He had seen her backpack, knew she was still in the building. She had wiped her eyes and nose one more time on her sweatshirt sleeve and walked up to him.

He had wanted to know what she was doing there on New Year's Eve. What could she tell him: she had come to terminate her career at NCIS? Come to break up their partnership? Come to end one of the happiest periods of her life because she loved him too much and feared making a deadly error because of it; an error that might cost him his life, or McGee's or Gibbs'?

She got her bag to go and then he had asked her to stay to see in the New Year with him. He had said please. Tony never said please, at least not to her. So she had given in one last time. She put the note to Vance in her bag and sat in the break room with him while he got them coffee and candy.

Then he began to talk about honesty and how he had made a New Year's resolution to be honest with her; not to hide behind jokes and evasions, not to build his walls higher. She felt like he had hit her in the solar plexus, stunning her. And to offer her proof of the seriousness of his vow he had answered those two highly personal questions she had asked him during their stakeout at the Wall. She did not know what to think. What did this mean? Did it make a difference in her decision? She did not see how it could. The problem was still there. The deadly possibility still there. This new side of Tony only made the decision that much more painful for her.

She went to withdraw her hand and he placed his other hand on top of hers.

"Ziva, I know I haven't always been the best partner for you…hell, I've screwed up every way possible, probably, but I want you to know…"

He stopped and looked at her, his green eyes darkened with emotion.

"You are important to me, maybe the most important person in my life. I want 2009 to be a new year for us. I will be more honest and open with you. I will be there for you like you've been there for me."

He squeezed her hand where he held it.

"You are more than just my partner; I want you to know that."

She sat silent biting her lip. She did not know what to say to him. He was breaking her heart.

She removed her hand from his and stood up, walking away from the table, wondering what to say to him.

"I thank you, Tony. You have surprised me and made me feel wanted. I am happy…"

"Then why don't you sound happy, Ziva?" he said.

She came back to the table and sat down, clutching her hands together in her lap. If he touched her again she did not know what might happen. At all costs she must remain in control of her emotions. She kept her eyes lowered as she told him.

"Honesty demands honesty in return. I really came here tonight to leave a request for Director Vance; a request to be returned to Israel, to Mossad."

She did not look at him as she spoke but when he said nothing in response she forced herself. He seemed what…upset, sad, angry? She could not read him now; his eyes were closed to her. He cleared his throat.

"Is this because of the relationship you had during the summer?"

For a moment she could not think what he was referring to then remembered. He had been adamant she had had a romantic liaison in Israel during the team breakup. She had, in a way, but there had been no emotional attachment to Michael Rivkin. They had merely comforted each other physically in their mutual loneliness. She missing Tony and the rest of her NCIS family and he missing his lover, his last partner, who had been killed in an automobile accident oddly enough, an unusual death for a Mossad agent. So they had come together and shared their pain in a few nights of passion but both knew it meant nothing.

"No, Tony. It is about my relationships here at NCIS."

She felt tears trying to form again and she bit the inside of her mouth to help her maintain control. Forcing herself to look him in the eyes she told him most of the reason why she had to go back to Mossad.

"You were right, you know, when you said I did not follow orders and endangered our mission during the fake war game. Because I could not control myself you were injured. This cannot happen again."

She stopped and swallowed. Why did this have to be so hard? Why not just tell him the truth. She was leaving after all and would never see him again once she was gone.

"Ziva," he started but she cut him off.

"No, Tony. I know what the problem is. In the years I have been here I have come to care deeply for people here at NCIS; Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky…you. It makes me a weak agent. I make illogical decisions or rather decisions with no logic at all. What if I had done that in a real firefight? It might not be you who suffers the next time but Gibbs or McGee. I am a danger to the team. I cannot control my emotions when it comes to people I…"

She stopped. The next word was one she did not use. The word she had avoided saying to him for the longest time even if she was speaking about the team as a whole now. He looked at her so intently she felt he could read her mind. Honesty deserves honesty, she reminded herself.

"People I love."

He blinked at her admission and looked as if he were going to say something so she spoke quickly.

"My New Year's resolution, Tony, is to remove myself from NCIS before I get someone I love killed."

There - she had at least said that much. She had not told him her deepest secret but now he knew why she was leaving. And if she left soon enough he would not know she was in love with him as she had never been in love before. She would not have to live through his pity and the change in their relationship which would surely result if he knew the whole truth.

He said nothing so she picked up her bag again. Maybe it was better this way. She could leave her note for the director then go. She might not have to come back if the change could be facilitated quickly enough. Surely Gibbs would be mad and McGee confused. Abby would cry. Ducky would be philosophical. Tony…she thought Tony might miss her for a few days but then he would be assigned a new partner and he would move on with little or no thought for her except an occasional errant memory.

She sighed as she stood and turned away from the table. Suddenly she heard a metallic crash and turned back. Tony had knocked over his chair as he moved toward her. He took the backpack off her shoulder and threw it toward the vending machines where it hit with a dull thud and a candy bar fell down into the slot. He put both his hands on her shoulders and shook her hard and she let him. She could stop him but perhaps she deserved it.

"You're crazy, you know that, Ziva? "

He shook her again.


	4. Chapter 4

I do now own NCIS or any part thereof.

New Year's Resolutions

-4-

He heard what she said but it didn't really penetrate. He got that she thought she was losing her Mossad Ninja edge because she cared for them but why leave? They all cared for each other. Hadn't she ever seen Gibbs go ballistic when one of them was in danger or hurt? How McGee turned up his nerd mojo, working days on end without rest when one of the team needed it. Didn't she see him in that guardroom when the marine turned the gun her way and he forgot their orders too earning himself a sore jaw, a split lip and a black eye when he tried to defend her while not screwing with Gibbs' instructions too much? They all cared, dammit! What the hell was she talking about?

She stood up slinging her backpack over her shoulder and turned to leave. Oh no, Officer David, you're not going anywhere. He stood up quickly and felt his chair tip over. He crossed to her in two long steps and grabbed her bag and slung it as hard as he could hearing with satisfaction the heavy thud as it hit the vending machines. He put his hands on her shoulders turning her to face him. He gave into the urge to shake some sense into her even though he knew she could have him on the floor in 2 seconds flat.

"You're crazy, you know that, Ziva?" he asked, and he shook her again. Then he pulled her in close to him in a tight hug he was sure was painful to her.

"You're going nowhere. You're not asking for transfer back. You're staying right here. You are my partner; the only partner I want."

With each phrase he crushed her closer then he laid his cheek on her soft hair and said, "You can't leave, Ziva. You're my best friend."

He kissed the top of her head.

"You can't leave."

He felt her arms tentatively move around his waist and she relaxed into his embrace.

"You can't leave," he said for the third time.

He stepped back from her and took her hand, leading her back to her seat at the table. She wasn't looking at him. He knelt down in front of her and he rubbed his hand over his face wondering what to say, how to convince her to stay.

"Look, Ziva. We all care for each other. Gibbs, McGee, you, me. We're a team. We have each other's back everyday. We all screw up occasionally, make bad decisions. Even if you're Mossad you're also human. You make mistakes. It's not a reason to leave. You're not going to endanger us. It's the dirt bags that endanger us. You hear me, Ziva!"

He grabbed her legs just above the knees and squeezed, emphasizing his message.

"You are hurting me, Tony," she said quietly.

He jerked his hands away and sat back on his heels.

"Sorry."

Tonight he'd made what he considered a really big step with his honesty resolution. He meant to keep it too. But how could he if she wasn't there at her desk everyday? How could he do his job even without Ziva there to back him up? How could he work out how he really felt about his beautiful partner if she was gone?

She reached out toward him and he leaned in to her again. She gently touched his face and then ran her fingers through his hair at the temple.

"I do not want to go, Tony. I am your partner and you are mine. I want no other. But…"

"No buts, Ziva. You're staying."

She gave a small smile and shook her head.

Think DiNozzo, he told himself. Think! Don't let her leave that note on the Toothpick's desk. Then he smiled.

"How about a deal, Ziva?"

She looked at him, confused.

"A deal?"

"Yeah, a deal."

He stood up now and started walking in a circle around the chair where she sat, making it up as he moved.

"What about MY resolution to be honest with you? Don't you want to hang around and see if I can do it? I mean if I were a betting man I'd bet against me; you know, my track record isn't that great? How about a year? Can you give me a year? Let's make a wager okay? You give me a year, til New Year's Eve 2009, and if I can be honest with you, not pulling any of my wonderfully creative evasive tricks for the whole year, you'll forget about this leaving thing. If I can't go the distance then I will stand aside, let you do what you think you gotta do."

He stopped his rant. He looked down at her bent head.

"Ziva?"

She stood up and faced him and as he stared into her eyes he dared hope he had changed her mind. She surprised him by leaning her forehead against his chest.

"You are very persuasive, Tony, but I am not convinced. I do not think…"

He pulled her back and put his finger on her lips.

"One year, Ziva. Just 12 short months."

She went to speak again and he pressed two fingers against her mouth this time.

"Please. Please don't go, Ziva."


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own NCIS or any part thereof.

Much thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this little story. It is much appreciated.

Sorry, everyone. Somehow I screwed up the uploading of chapter 5. I really, really need a keeper.

New Year's Resolution

-5-

"Please. Please don't go, Ziva."

Her breath caught in her throat. He had said "please" again. Tonight he had told her things she had never thought to hear from him. He had admitted she was an important part of his life. Asked her to give him a year. Asked her to stay another year and she knew a lot could happen in a year. And he had said "please" to her more than once, three times in fact; which was three times more than he had said it in all the years she had known him.

Reaching up, she grasped his fingers and moved them away from her face. Then she went to the vending machine, bent and picked up her backpack. Standing she reached in the candy machine and pulled out the candy that had fallen when the bag struck the machine. Walking back over to the table where they had been sitting she picked up the two uneaten candy bars he had bought for them. She stuck all 3 inside her backpack. She put the bag over her shoulder and went and stood in front of him.

"Ready to go, Tony?"

He looked confused. She smiled.

"Get your things."

He gave her a questioning look but then ran toward his desk to get his coat while she made her way to the elevator. When she saw him coming she pushed the button so the door was open when he arrived at her side. They walked inside side by side.

"Ziva," he started and then stopped when she leaned over and hit the off switch, bringing the elevator to a stop.

"I will take your wager, Tony. I will stay another year unless I am recalled by my father."

Tony started grinning as she reached inside her bag.

"To show my good faith and trust in your New Year's resolution I am giving you the note to Director Vance. I will expect it back one year from now if you cannot keep the resolution. Honesty demands honesty in return, Tony."

He took the note, no longer smiling. His fingers lingered on hers for a moment and then he put it in his pants' pocket, nodding. She came and stood very close to him, so close she could feel the warmth of his body. She looked up into his eyes.

"I appreciate what you have told me tonight, Tony. It means so very much to me; more perhaps than you realize. But I need a promise from you. If you think I am endangering you or any member of the team like I did during that godforsaken mission you have to tell me. Immediately. I really do not think I would be able to…well, it would be bad if I was the cause of something hurtful to one of you. Most especially you."

Putting his hand to the side of her neck he said, "I promise."

She made to pull away but he didn't move his hand.

"Thank you, Ziva," he said.

He put his hand behind her head and pulled her closer.

"Happy New Year, partner."

He leaned his head down and gently pressed his lips to hers. In surprise she opened her mouth and he took momentary advantage of it to run his tongue inside but before she could respond he ended the kiss. She looked up at him and he kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose.

"Happy New Year, Tony," she said in a whisper.

He reached over her and released the off switch and as he drew his arm back embraced her in a hug. She hugged him back. They did not end the hug until the doors opened. Then they walked out side by side.

She pulled her coat out of her backpack and put it on. Tony shrugged his topcoat on. She reached over and straightened his collar for him. He held the door for her as they went out into the cold.

"Hey, Ziva, why did you put all those candy bars in your bag? Don't you want to share at least one with me?"

She smiled as she spotted her car, his 2 rows over.

"I intend to share them with you, Tony; when we are at your place watching one of my favorite movies as a way to start the New Year."

Now his smile was big.

"Oh yeah, movie night? Great cause I got a couple of new ones I think you'll really like."

"Oh no, Tony. I am picking the movie tonight and I know you have it. I saw it on the shelves."

He sounded suspicious.

"Which one?"

"AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER with Deborah Kerr."

"What?! That awful grandmother of chick flicks? Oh my god, you're kidding right, Ziva? I don't even know how that got to my place. An old girlfriend must have left it when she moved on. Can't we watch IRONMAN or THE DARK KNIGHT? Ziva, Ziva, wait up…"

As she closed her car door shutting out his complaints she smiled. She believed tonight meant some big changes in their partnership but somethings would not changed and that was okay too.


End file.
